The Portland daily press., 1887-02-24

houses, and DIR. Young has obtained, through
the United States consuls, the latest publiea-
tons from foreign countries He has plans
Of school houses from Australia. pamphlets
from Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Berlin, writ
ten IN various languages and all showing the
latest improvements for making school
houses healthier and better
AS part OIL the report are Incorporated
several papers by DR.. Young, in which he
gives the results of the investigations and
INQUIRY from other doctors of the state, on
certain important sanitary topics: "Conta-
taglousness OF Consumption, SANITARY Sig
nlicance of Mild Cases of the Infectious
Diseases, 'Diphtheria, "Comparative Val
ue OF Negative Evidence as to the Conta,,
Vital statistics, !" Local Boards Of Health"
Eases OF Poisoning. from Cheese, Milk and
Meat. Annual Diseases" Summer Re
sorts, Garbage Furnaces for Summer Re
sorts, Public Health Laws" and Reports
IRON Medical Correspondents"
The report also contains special papers on
the following subjects: disposal of Excre-
ta,' by DR.. Gerrish; water supply, Public
and Domestic" by DIR. Webster blouse
Drainage and Sewerage" by E. G. Jordan,
Y: H.; Tuberculosis" by A. G. Young;
Comparative View of Sanitary Laws" by
A. q. Young.
AS whole the report contains much in
formation that should be possessed by every
householder.
GARBAGE FURNACES.
The garbage question is referred to as a
very important one in local sanitary admin
istration. None of the methods hitherto in
use have been free from serious objections.
The great desideratum has seemed to be some
method which would not require costly
transportation of the garbage nor which
would necessitate the deflement Of our sea-
shores, but which would radically and ulti-
mately destroy it near the place where it is
produced.
Within the last few years new method
of destroying garbage has been written
about and talked about and to considerable
extent put into operation and practically
tested. That to which reference is made, is
the method Of destroying or cremating gar
bage by meaus of furnaces specially con-
structed for that purpose. When these gar
bage furnaces have been put into use there
is Il pretty uniform consensus OF testimony
as to their success. When rightly built they
have done their work satisfactorily and gem
orally at considerably less expense than had
hitherto had been incurred in dispOsing of the
garbage otherwise. But little or no cost is
incurred for fuel to run the furnace as the
garbage is dried more or less before It Is
burned and is made to consume itself. The
cost of labor in attending the furnace is not
great and generally there are no unpleasant
odors given off in the process of burning.
This method has not been extensively used
in this country, but in Europe and especially
in England it is quite rapidly displacing 9th
er ways of garbage disposal Dr.. o. A.
HOrr, a member of the Board, while in Eng
land recently, made special enquiry in re-
gard to the workings OF these garbage fur
naces., In talking with the medical officer
of health of the city of London, he learned
that there were then f0rty-fiye of the English
towns and cities which were using the gar
bage cremators, and they claim that the
change has been followed with diminution
of expenses and with fewer Of the other
evil or unpleasant c0ncomitantS.
In this country this method was first tried
on Governors Island, New York harbor. A
letter of July, 1885, with accompanying IL
Illustrations, descriptive Of this furnace, is
through the courtesy of the Sanitary Engi-
neer, Incorporated into the report. From it
we gather that there is a grating over the
fire Of the furnace on which the garbage is
gradually dried, and afterwards raked into
the fire and used as fuel The writer says
that there is slight, inoffensiye odor from
the chimney which is perceptible in certain
conditions of the atmosphere; 1t Is very SIM
liar to that gwen off by burning letter paper
No fuel of any kind other than the garbage
Is used or needed, unless the fire is allowed
TO burn out, when, of course, some fuel is
necessary to start the new fire. One man
has charge, and after putting in the days
garbage generally limits his attention to
raking dry garbage over the fire at noon and
again at sunset.
This has now been in successful use year
and half. Montreal is now burning her gar
bage,s Toronto has made an appropriation for
erecting furnaces for this purpose, and
Wheeling, w. Va, has a garbage and night
soil cremator just put into operation. A let
ter to the secretary promises to give in a
short time the results of its trial.
The applicability of this method to the
wants of our summer resorts is pointed out
During several visits made last spring to Bar
Harbor the secretary called the attention of
the local authorities to this method of meet
ing the garbage question and has since been
collecting information which has a bearing
in this direction.